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Jupiter: The Largest Planet

Jupiter is so large that all of the other planets in the solar system
could fit inside of it.

Jupiter is a large
gas
planet whose clouds change colors daily. This planet
is made mostly of hydrogen and helium gases. Jupiter gives off two times
more heat than it gets from the Sun. It shines very brightly in the night
sky for nine months of the year when it is closest to Earth.
Huge areas of swirling gases can be found in Jupiter's
atmosphere.
The largest swirling area of gas is called the Great Red Spot. Scientists
believe this is a large
hurricane-like
storm which has lasted for hundreds of years. Large
bolts
of lightning have also been seen in Jupiter's
atmosphere. Pictures taken by
space probes
have shown thin rings around
Jupiter. As of January 2011, Jupiter has 50 named moons.
13 more have been discovered but not given official status or names. One of Jupiter's moons, Io, has
active volcanoes
on it. Areas on Io that are near the volcanoes are very, very hot.